WABA U17: Dominant Wins and Thrilling Comebacks

The Vizura sports hall in Zemun hosted an action-packed Sunday in the WABA U17 Group B tournament.

In the day’s opening clash, Zrinjski 2010 delivered a clinical performance to earn their first win of the season, leading from start to finish against UZKK Student. The excitement peaked in the second game, where tournament hosts Partizan 1953 survived a major scare against a resilient Rilski Sportist using a spectacular late scoring run to protect their home court.

2026-27 WABA U17 League – Week 2

Sunday, October 18

Group B

Belgrade (Vizura)

UZKK Student-Zrinjski 2010 43-79 (13-22, 7-19, 10-21, 13-17)   FULL STATS   FULL GAME VIDEO

In a clash between two teams searching for their first win of the season, Zrinjski 2010 put on a masterful performance, leading from wire to wire.

Head coach Nikolina Pandza’s squad wasted no time asserting dominance, opening with five straight points. Zrinjski 2010 dictated the tempo on both ends of the floor, building an insurmountable cushion by halftime and heading into the locker room with a commanding 21-point lead.

The Mostar-based team dominated the glass, out-rebounding UZKK Student 54 to 31 and grabbing 21 offensive rebounds that created numerous second-chance opportunities. Zrinjski’s relentless defensive pressure forced 24 turnovers and generated 26 steals, turning defense into quick transition points.

Four players scored in double digits for the victorious side. Ena Opancar led all scorers with 16 points (75% from the field) and added 6 rebounds. Sarah Sofia Grizelj just missed a triple-double off the bench with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 9 steals. Anica Radulovic added 14 points and 8 rebounds, while Nina Zelenika contributed 12 points to the winning effort.

UZKK students struggled to find their rhythm against Zrinjski’s aggressive defense, shooting just 7% from behind the three-point arc (1-15). Lana Kostic and Nika Dinic led the Serbian side, scoring 7 points each, while Hana Savic grabbed 6 rebounds in the loss.

Partizan 1953-Rilski Sportist 74-65 (7-16, 28-15, 18-21, 21-13)   FULL STATS   FULL GAME VIDEO

In a roller-coaster matchup, home favorites Partizan 1953 mounted a stunning late-game surge to win.

Samokov started with a spectacular run. Rilski Sportist stunned the hosts early, storming to a quick 10-1 lead before extending their advantage to a game-high 14 points at 25-11.

Refusing to let the game slip away on their home floor, Partizan 1953 locked down defensively and engineered a massive first-half turnaround. The Belgrade team clamped down on the perimeter, chipping away at the deficit until they took a 33-29 lead heading into halftime. Partizan 1953 carried that momentum into the third period, building what seemed like a comfortable 52-43 cushion by the 28th minute.

However, the Bulgarian side showed incredible resilience. Rilski Sportist suddenly rediscovered their rhythm from beyond the arc—hitting 9 three-pointers on the day compared to Partizan’s 0—and flipped the script once more. By the middle of the final quarter, Rilski Sportist had surged back ahead, holding a dangerous 63-57 lead.

With their undefeated home weekend on the line, Partizan 1953 found their heroes in Jana Macvanski and Nina Bodrozic. The duo ignited a devastating, clutch 16-0 scoring run down the stretch. Bodrozic was flawless inside, finishing 7-of-7 from the 2-point line for 18 points. Meanwhile, Macvanski was an unstoppable force in the paint, netting a game-high 25 points on 12-of-22 shooting while dishing out 5 assists.

The spectacular late-game blast let Partizan reclaim the lead and push it to a double-digit margin (+10) in the final minute, sealing a thrilling 9-point win. Milica Karaicic also stepped up for the hosts, scoring 10 points off the bench on 5-of-6 shooting.

Rilski Sportist relied on strong performances from Nikol Hristova (17 points, 7 rebounds), Daria Raikova (17 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists), and Radost Petrova (15 points).